


One Year Later

by Lace



Category: Paranatural (Webcomic)
Genre: Happy Birthday, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-27
Updated: 2018-04-27
Packaged: 2019-04-28 15:38:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14452359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lace/pseuds/Lace
Summary: It's been a year and Isaac has now entered high school and seems to be avoiding his friends. It upsets all of them, including Max.





	One Year Later

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PancakeHeart](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PancakeHeart/gifts).



> Happy (late) Birthday!

It’s been a year since Max came to Mayview and everyone still calls him the new kid. Guess people don’t move in much. Shocker.

 

It’s been a year now and the new school year meant Isaac has left their middle school and is attending Mayview High School. His classes actually started before the middle school’s now.

 

Max didn’t think it’d be too much different. Afterall he never had any classes with Isaac and they’d all still go ghost hunting and fight whatever spender’s been tight lipped about, right? Well as a matter of fact the answer was no. Because Mayview High School had its own spectral club that was adamant about bonding with their newest edition.

 

Isabel and Ed had been spamming the group chats to see when Isaac was free. Since everything got aired out and they all picked up their friendship and tried again things had been getting better. Wounds were healing and scars were fading and they were all maturing. Which is why Max understood that they didn’t want to lose Isaac again but he couldn’t help feeling like it was an overreaction. The guy had harder classes now and what sounded like an almost entirely medium club to get to know.

 

This didn’t mean Max didn’t feel like they were being left behind. He kept up with Doghouse and Sam more than Isaac was keeping up with them. Still Max wasn’t going to press the issue.

 

Max started taking Johnny up on his offers to spend time with his crew. Isabel and Ed were too tight knit to join a lot of the time without Isaac. Meanwhile Johnny and his friends were always down for learning some of Max’s stunts

 

Johnny had been part of the activity club since partway through the last school year but he didn’t really show up without the promise of action. Dimitri still stuck close to the Journalism club but Isabel said they were texting again. All in all this school year started off with a new main cast and a more informed plot. 

 

Max was kind of peeved but it was hard to place. On one hand he and Isaac were friends by now. Which honestly meant something because before Mayview Max had grown up with all his friends. They all shared interests. And they would all sell each other out if it came down to it and all had an understanding about that. So the friends he made here were very different. They were ride or die people and Max still considered them, Isaac included, friends. So why was he ignoring them?

 

On the other hand there was a boundary between them. Max wasn’t sure how long it’d been there, maybe from the start, but he first noticed it in spring. The worst part is he doesn’t know who put it there. Was it Max because early on he wanted little to do with him and the club? Or was it when Isaac started excluding himself? And is it why he hasn’t seen Isaac in weeks? And if so how can he fix it?

 

It was a month of Isaac brushing them off before Max stepped in, albeit by accident. He caught Isaac buying breakfasts. Plural. There was his usual semi-vegan chew but also a few miscellaneous breakfast bars. 

 

“Someone’s hungry.” Max said eyeing the counter as he grabbed his scooter off the floor.   
  
The look on Isaac’s face was surprised followed by embarrassment as his face went bright pink Nice to see somethings never change.

 

“No it’s for the club. Or ya know. The new club. Some of them always forget breakfast so everyone else takes turns feeding them.” Isaac’s face was still too red when Mr. Puckett handed him his bag.

  
Max rolled his eyes as he slid over the counter to land next to Isaac. “So when are we gonna meet them? You mention them a lot. By a lot I mean you literally sent 20 messages in the span on 30 days and 15 of them mentioned your high school friends.”

 

“You keep count?” Well at least Isaac had the good grace to look a little ashamed as he went about pulling money out for the transaction. 

 

Max indeed kept count because it was getting ridiculous. “You know Ed thinks they’re a cult trying to separate you from your friends and family.”   
  
Mr. Puckett spoke up. “Not very nice Maxy. I thought after a year you two would be on better terms. Exactly a year at that! Remember? We had our movaversery for coming to Mayview yesterday!”

 

“I know dad. I have a long term memory unlike you who doesn’t remember his own birthday.” Max groaned.

 

“But still. You started school here this day last year and you already knew each other the next day.” The man beamed at his son as he put Isaac’s money in the register and then began fishing out the change. It only took him and Zoe a year before they made a habit of getting change.

 

Isaac’s face twisted into a cringe, no doubt remembering the first days of their unformed friendship.

 

Max idly wondered if he would recognize himself from a year ago. Well that was actually a really dumb metaphor he just heard used in this context a lot. Mostly he wondered what it would be like if Max had known back then that he’d actually grow so close to the club and to the bullies. Sure each passing day felt like he couldn’t escape either but now that he didn’t want to escape? That was different. And yet Isaac, the one who’d been most adamant about befriending him or at least forming an alliance with him, had been all but ditching them all. 

 

As Max recentered on that he felt himself grow more annoyed with his friend. He’d been dodging the problem thus far but Max is putting his foot down.

 

“Ignoring my dad,” Max gave the man in question a pointed look before turning his attention back to Isaac, “It really looks like you’re doing your best ditch us. Are you too cool to hang out with middle schoolers now that you’re in high school?”

 

Isaac reeled a bit at the accusation, “What? No. I’m just” Isaac struggled a bit to find the right words, “learning new things. Anger management and identifying emotions and I just want to be better for you.”

 

This was a very rare occasion that Isaac left Max unable to respond with snark. Still. Max felt like they all should have been told at least.

 

Max didn’t let nearly as much annoyance seep in the words as he spoke this time as they moved towards the store exit, “Great. I’m glad you’re developing as a person and all but we would understand that if you told us, you know.” 

 

“Yeah I know. Obviously I know that. It’s just not the easiest thing for me to talk about.” Isaac’s voice raised an octave and his face was flushed in the signature sign that he was embarrassed and angry. Mostly angry about being embarrassed, at the person embarrassing him, and at himself for letting someone get to him.

 

Max couldn’t stop his eye roll if he tried but it was drowned out by the beeping door as they left. “It can’t be that hard. Especially since you told me about Dimitri.”

 

“That’s completely different! I know what I did and had time to come to terms with it. Right now I’m in this whole...self discovery stuff and I really don’t need to be mocked for it. I know you guys mean it jokingly or whatever but I know I’d react bad to it right now. It’s a snake eating its own tail. I’m trying to be better for you guys but I can’t tell you that because I know I’m not at a stage where I can I talk about it casually because I need to get better.” Isaac was doing that thing where he made big hand gestures that tended to devolve into flailing.

 

Max felt a little bad. He knew teasing Isaac bothered him on the surface level, like he said himself he has anger issues, but it hardly ever got in the way of them hanging out. “Then tell us to cut the crap. Tell us you can’t take it right now. I doubt we of all people wouldn’t understand. If it makes it easier I can tell them and tell them to not make fun and you can just talk to us without it.”

 

Isaac’s arms dropped and he looked sincerely touched. “You’d do that? I’d really appreciate it. I know you guys don’t want to make me worse. I mean why would you? You have to deal with me constantly so why make it harder on yourselves. It’s just. Some topics shouldn’t be jokes. Yet at least.”

 

Max pulled his phone out and sent a group text saying a simple ‘ _ Isaac’s been getting some help with his anger problems and we can’t make fun because he’s trying his best. _ ’   
  


“Done.” Max put his phone back in his pocket and watched Isaac fish his own phone out to read the message.

 

Isaac smiled down at the phone and then at Max. “Thanks. I mean it.”

 

“Don’t mention it. Just stop avoiding us.” Max felt that aforementioned boundary waver. It wasn’t often they had heart to hearts like this but it felt  _ good _ . But good in an uncomfortable way.

 

Isaac gave him a curious look. “Are you..you are! You’re blushing!”

 

Max rolled his eyes but he could feel his face get warmer as he tried to turn his head away. 

 

Isaac went bright red so easy, exertion, a teasing insult, a mildly embarrassing story and he lit up like a christmas tree. Max was different. This wasn’t the first time he’d been flustered by far but it was saved for bigger things. Things like when he would lose his cool in anger and annoyance or when his dad pulls out their old scrapbook.

 

But this? What did this deserve a blush for? He looked back at Isaac who was always bad at trying to look casual, he was facing forward but he kept sneaking glances at Max. Isaac’s cheeks were pink but whether that was left over from earlier or if Max’s blush was simply contagious was up in the air.

 

But it was good enough for Max to turn the tables. “Yeah well I’m not the only one, am I?” 

 

Like clockwork Isaac’s face went his signature shade of salmon. “Well-I-no, but that’s different!”

 

It was enough to get a chuckle out of Max. “Oh yeah? How so?”

 

“Because I have a crush on you!” It sounded pretty angry for a confession and just after it left Isaac’s mouth he paled, only a little though, as he realized the tone. “I mean. Well. No I meant that I just. God they’re helping me with my communication and I wasn’t supposed to  _ yell  _ it.”

 

Isaac was still talking about how this was  _ supposed  _ to go but Max was stalled on the crush part. It made a sort of sense. Why Isaac always got more flustered when it was Max taunting him. It explained why they had that boundary. What Max was trying to figure out was did he like Isaac back? Mostly because Isaac was going on now about how he was supposed to make this easier on Max so he didn’t feel pressured to respond if he didn’t want to. That was sweet. And Isaac’s sincere smile had made him blush and feel that weird uncomfortably good feeling that definitely felt like butterflies because he was feeling it again now. 

 

Max didn’t wait for Isaac to finish. “Dude, calm down I like you too.” Saying it was easy since Isaac already did the hard part of initiating this conversation. 

 

Isaac was obviously not expecting that. He dropped his hands and looked happy but also lost, like he hadn’t thought this far ahead. “Oh. Uh. Cool.” Then as if it only suddenly dawned on him as they came to where their paths separate, “Oh right. School. Can we talk about this more tonight? I think I need a minute to process this anyway.”

 

Max felt that. He was pretty sure he’d be distracted all day. “Yeah. Works for me.”

 

Isaac waved to him as he hopped on his scooter and they went different ways. 

 

Max had to wonder on his ride to school, was it poetic that this happened on the anniversary of the meeting?


End file.
